Explore Winter Park Resort

5 Days in Colorado’s Top Adventure Town

November 8, 2017

Calling all adventure enthusiasts! Elevation Outdoors named Winter Park Colorado’s Top Adventure Town two years in a row! That’s right, Winter Park was given this awesome title in 2017 and again in 2018. To make sure you can fit in as many adventures as possible while you visit us, we made a 5 Day Itinerary to help with your planning! And, if you haven’t heard, we are running an Adventure Town Giveaway, where you could win this Itinerary!

Book a 9:45 tour and explore the Continental Divide as you ride a snowmobile at 12,000ft. The two-hour tour offers views of Winter Park Resort and the Fraser Valley like you’ve never seen or experienced them before. The guides on your tour will ensure an exploration of Rocky Mountain backcountry that is perfect for any thrill seeker!

Take the adventure to your taste buds and stop by the Ditch for a Ditch Burger! You don’t get any more Colorado than Hatch Chilies. Plus, the margaritas are some of the best in town. (Happy Hour is week days 3pm – 6pm). This iconic spot is a great local hang out, so you’re also bound to get a good taste of the Winter Park Vibe.

Make a reservation at the Coca-Cola Tubing Hill, and spend an hour on our four lanes of fun. This adventure is more low key, but a fun way to spend an afternoon before the skiers leave the slopes and get in their evening ride. Take some laps before warming up with hot chocolate in Hill House!

At 5:30pm, get to Sombrero Stables at Snow Mountain Ranch. You’ll take a 45-minute ride, bundled in blankets, watching the stars start to come out. Your destination will have dinner waiting for you and you can bring along your own bottle of wine for a cozy evening in the great outdoors. When you head back to your accommodations, look up! End your night stargazing and take advantage of being away from the city lights.

Rise and shine for your first day on the mountain! Lifts start spinning at 9am, so make sure you get there to get some fresh tracks. If you’re an intermediate to expert skier reserve a place for your whole group in our Guided Ski & Ride Experience so we can get you right to the goods that you want. You’ll also get VIP lift access (yeah, go ahead and skip the line!), all while skiing or boarding on the terrain you want to explore! Find powder stashes, the best mogul runs, and whatever else YOU want ride. Our guides make every guided experience about the guest and will show you the mountain from the view of a local.

Hit the Jane Chutes and see why Mary Jane is such a legend. Book a Local Look Experience for you and up to five friends. But don’t forget to grab breakfast! Stop at Waffle Cabin and take this handheld deliciousness up your first chairlift ride of the day on the Parkside.

Riding through some of the most extreme terrain on the mountain is bound to get you hungry. Head down to Club Car at the Mary Jane base and enjoy a late lunch at one of the most hopping places on the mountain. You’ll really feel like you’re part of the history of the legendary ski town.

Afternoon: Enjoy More Jane Laps

Your morning guided experience will help you scout the terrain you want to ride through the afternoon. And before Lunch Rock’s last call, get in an afternoon Après at Lunch Rock. Because there’s nothing more Colorado than drinking crafter beer at 10,000 feet while enjoying the views of the Continental Divide.

Take some time to relax after your day riding. Maybe even hit the hot tub to let those legs relax. Drive or take the shuttle into Downtown Winter Park, stopping at Cooper Creek Square for dinner and drinks! Enjoy Durbar’s selection of Nepalese and Indian food. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, but you’ll eventually want to venture a few doors down to Leo’s Kitchen, where you’ll find delicious specialty cocktails and a late night happy hour.

Day 3

Morning:

Consider riding in the Jane, a warm up! On day three, either hit the Cirque (our expert terrain) or reserve a tour with Powder Addiction. If you’re at the resort, make sure to get your Cirque Sled Pass. If you book a tour with Powder Addiction, you’ll get a backcountry experience on Jone’s Pass either via Snowcat or try touring. Stepping up your riding game with a next level experience. Snowcat tours run all day and include lunch.

Afternoon: Après in Downtown Winter Park

When your adventures take a turn towards relaxation, start you Après at the base of the resort in Doc’s. Between the nachos and the cocktails, you’ll find something that hits the spot! Then follow along on our suggested brew tour for the night. For details on each bar and the best thing to order, check out the last day of this itinerary.

Grab some grub at Carver’s Bakery. With fresh-baked goods to grab and go or settle in for a hearty benedict to enjoy with a bloody Mary. Carver’s has a fresh bakery that few can rival. Grab an egg sandwich to go on one of their croissants, and you’ll be set for the morning.

Then head to Devil’s Thumb Ranch. Where you’ll have a spa experience like no other in the gorgeous 18,000 square foot spa, located in a quiet corner of the meadow. You can book a massage or spa treatment that really revitalizes you for the next few adventures remaining.

Get lunch at Devil’s Thumb and enjoy soup and sandwiches at Hallowed Grounds. Enjoy something to warm you up before you start the next adventure.

Afternoon: Nordic Skiing

Devil’s Thumb Ranch offers over 120km of groomed trails that take you through the base of Continental Divide. You can rent skis or snowshoes, get a lesson with the Ranch’s expert staff, and then spend an afternoon on the trails. Devil’s Thumb Cross Country is currently in the running for USA today’s top 10 for Best Cross – Country Ski Resort.

Round out your day at Devil’s Thumb and enjoy a glass of hand-selected wine and something from their original ranch menu. The decor and structure also help to give diners a connection to their mountain setting. As their website describes,” The giant posts and beams are hewn from standing dead Douglas Fir from Vancouver Island, over 800 years old. The siding is Larch. The floor (which is heated by environmentally friendly geothermal sources) is reclaimed Spruce. The stone used to build the fireplace is from a nearby rockslide—the same was used for the fireplace in the original 1937 Ranch homestead, which is now the Ranch House Restaurant & Saloon.” Make a reservation and make your Devil’s Ranch Adventure complete.

This is one of the best stops for breakfast, located in Fraser, it offers a cozy atmosphere and one of the best breakfast burritos in town. Note though, that parking and seating are limited. Order ahead for pick up (970) 726-TOGO.

Grab and go back to the resort where you can see the mountain from the seat of a ski bike! Reserve your spot in a ski bike tour today and experience the mountains and snow in an exhilarating new way. Tours last for 3 hours and begin at both 9am and 1pm.

Just because the sun goes down doesn’t mean your mountaintop adventures have to end. Take a spectacular sunset Gondola ride up to the Sunspot Mountaintop Lodge. 360 degrees of alpenglow goodness is only part of the treat. Enjoy craft cocktails and small bites as you share your ski tales from the day. Make a night of it by cozying in for a dinner full of Colorado cuisine while sipping wine and enjoying the lights of the valley below.

Whether you’re a foodie, craft beer enthusiast, ski expert, wilderness junkie, or some hybrid of multiple options (like most Coloradans are), Winter Park offers something new for you to explore, discover, and plan adventures! See what Colorado’s Top Adventure Town has to offer!